Folding shelter



March 2, 1965 l.. B. sToKEs FOLDING SHELTER Filed Jan. 29, 1962 LELAND 8. STO/(E5 INVENTOR HUEBNER 8 WORREL ,477'ORNE YS @Zi/MMM United States Patent C 3,171,417 FOLDING SHELTER Leland B. Stokes, Visalia, Calif. Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,569 1 Claim. (Cl. 13S-4) The present invention relates to a folding shelter and more particularly to such a shelter having a cover support frame foldably collapsible to a compart storable or transportable condition without disassembly of the frame or removal of the cover. The shelter of the present invention is of the general type but constitutes an improvement over the portable shelter comprising the subject matter 'of my co-pending application Serial No. 103,659, now abandoned.

Conventional shelters of the portable folding type are not easily collapsible to a sutiiciently compact size for convenient storing or handling during transport. These shelters are usually composed of a iexible cover which is supported on a frame having a plurality of adjustable ribs or bows. In most instances, before storing or transporting the shelter, it is necessary to remove the cover and completely to disassemble the frame. Such procedure is not only tedious and time-consuming but also increases the possibility of losing or misplacing portions of the shelter between periods of use.

Therefore,y it is an object of the present invention to provide a folding shelter which is easily collapsible to a compart size.

Another object is to provide a folding shelter having a flexible cover and a plurality of radjustable cover support members which are easily collapsible without disassembly.

Another object is to provide such a shelter having locking mechanisms operatively associated with the support members dependably to constrain the shelter in an operating position.

Another object is to provide a folding shelter which is lightweight, is of durable construction and is convenient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent in the subsequent description in the specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a side elevation `of a folding shelter embodying the principles of the present linvention shown partially covering an automobile. v i A FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the shelter` of FIG. 1 shown in a retracted open operating position.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the folding shelter in the open operating position of FIG. 2. Y

FIG. 4 is a somewhat enlarged end elevation shown in a collapsed storing or transporting position.

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a hinging and locking mechanism of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a folding shelter embodying the principles of the present invention is indicated generally at in FIG. 1 partially enclosing an automobile 11. The shelter includes a frame generally indicated at 12 which provides a pair of elongated, spaced substantially parallel base members 14 which are preferably formed of a lightweight metallic material such as channel aluminum or the like. The base members each include a bottom portion 16 which is adapted to rest upon a supporting surface 17; The base members further individually include. a pair of opposite side rails 19 and 20 which define therebetween an elongated channel 22 having oppositely opening ends 24 and 25.

A plurality of inverted generally U-shaped bow members 27, the details of which are best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, are preferably formed of a lightweight metallic tubular material such as aluminum or the like. As best shown in FIG. 3, the bow members provide a pair of transversely opposite telescopic side portions 28 each having upper and lower tubular telescopic sections 29 and 30, respectively. A plurality of selectively alignable apertures 31 are provided in the upper and lower sections through which lock bolts 32 are extended to lock the segments at the desired telescopic extension or contraction. In this manner, the side portions 28 of the bows are adapted vertically adjustably to correspond to the particular shape or size of the object being covered.

As best shown in FIG. 2, each of the bow members 27 is pivotally mounted at its lower section 30 to the base member 14 by a pivot bolt 34 extended between the side rails 19 and 20. A plurality of sets of aligned apertures 35 are disposed through the side rails 19 and 20 in arcuately spaced relation concentrically about their respective pivot bolts 34. The apertureslare selectively aligned with suitable bores in the lower sections 30 of the lbows to receive a locking bolt 36 therethrough for the purpose of retaining the bows in a number of angular adjusted positions corresponding to the apertures 35.

The bow members 27 also individually include tubular bight or mid-portions 40 having axially transversely aligned sections 41 and 42. The sections have transversely oppositely spaced outer ends 43 pivotally connected' to the upper end of the upper side sections 29 at 44. The midportion sections further provide endwardly abutting inner ends 45 which are constrained in such .position by an interconnecting hinge 46. The mid-portion sections 42 each include an elongated longitudinally extended slot 47 therein which terminates closely adjacent to the inner end 45 thereof. Pairs of opposite folding angularly disposed braces 4S are pivotally mounted at their opposite ends individually on the sections 41 and 42 of the mid-portions and on their respective side portions 28. A locking rod 50 is slidably received within the tubular mid-portion section 42 and has a control handle 51 rigidly mounted thereon outwardly extended through the slot 47. The slot thereby constrains the locking rod 50 between a retracted j position disposed completely within the mid-portion secy cover is constrained in such position by a plurality of endwardly opening, transversely disposed, tubular pockets 56 secured to the cover 55 and adapted threadably to receive the bow members 27 therethrough. The cover further includes a lower marginal edge 57 which is returni wrapped about the bows mounted adjacent to the ends 24 and 25 of the base and are secured thereto by any suitable fastening means, not shown. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of stakes 58 are provided to be driven in the ground or support surface 17 adjacent to the end bows for holding the cover in a closed position. The stakes 58 are only necessary in extreme weather or when it is desired to cover an object for an extended period of time. Normally, the weight of the respective bow members 27 is suiiicient to retain the end bows in their closed posi-V tions adjacent to the ground. Such staking is also desir,- able for installations where the shelter is employed to cover flowers, hotbeds, swimming pools and the like during winter months.

Operation of the bow members 27 are adjusted through their telescopi'ng connection, the better to conform to and Vaccommodate the particular object being covered. After adjustment, the bolts 32 are tightened to provide a rigid support and the bows are individually threaded through their corresponding tubular pockets 56 in the cover 55. The bows are lthen mounted on the base members 14 by their respective pivot pins 34 and adjustably locked in their substantially vertical positions of' FIG. 2V by the, lock bolts 36. Such position provides an opening into the shelter through either end between the ,base members 14. The automobile 11 of FIG. 1, or any other object to be covered, is centrally disposed within the shelterV and the opposite end bows pivoted downwardly to the full and broken line positions shown in FIG. l. If ldesired, only one end of the shelter need by closed when covering an automobile as in the full line position of FIG. 1 which provides ready access into and out of the shelter with no' manipulation of the shelter being necessary.

As more fully discussed in my above co-pending application, the resilient cover 55 isadapted to fold Ybetween the bows in accordion fashionduring' lpivotal adjustment of the bows 27. The lock bolts and adjusting apertures 36 and 35, respectively, permit the bows to be dependablylocked in any of the angul-arly adjusted positions, shown in the several figures of the drawing. The improvement of the present invention is, however, readily apparent in the provision of the hinge and lock mechanism of FIGS.V

3, 4, and 5.' After use, the shelter. may be folded to the preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of lthe invention, which is not to vbe limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

YHaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a folding shelter having a. pair of substantiallypar- I allel elongated base members, aiplurality of bows individually connected to the base members for pivotal movement about respective substantially parallel axes transversely of the base members,leachof said bows having a pair of substantially parallel, upwardlyextended, legs j tudinal adjustment, mansindividually pivotally connecting the outer .ends of said topfsections to the upper ends of theY legs of their respective bows for movement about axes substantially right angularly related'to the, axes of connection of the bows to the base members and forming 1. external corners forV the shelter, a flexible cover secured compact position of FIG. 4 in order to store or transport inner ends of the mid-portion sections 41 and 42 are` swung downwardly about their outer end pivots 44. Concurrently, the inner ends 45 pivot about the hinge 46 to drawthe opposite side portions 28 of the bows inwardlyl towards each other in 4a substantially parallel attitude. During such movement, the folding braces 48' likewise collapse downwardly to assume a substantially V-shaped configuration with` the side portions 28 and the mid-portion sections 41 and 42 juxtapositioned in 'substantially parallel relation to eachotherin the collapsed position of FIG. 4. As before, when longitudinally adjustably positioning the bow ymembers 27'longitudinally of the base members 14 to open and to close the shelter, the

resilient cover 55 folds between the mid-portion sections 41 and 42 without requiring the bow members to be disy portions 28 of the bows are manually drawn away fromVv each other `which action automatically straightens the.l

mid-portion 40 thereof'tothe operating position of` FIG.

locking rod into the ltubular midi-portion sectiony V41 dependably to lock the mid-portion 40 and to preclude inadvertent collapse of the shelter. l Y

From the foregoing, it is evident that the shelter.l of

present invention is readilyadaptable to cover a multiplicity of objects of various shapes and sizes and, after use,

is easily collapsible to a compactjsize Vcapable of being'y stored or transported in a minimum of space. Furtherter is easily and rapidly manipulated between its operating and collapsible storing or transporting positions with-Y tothe bows in outwardly covering relation thereto; the improvement comprising theV combination of hinges individually pivot-ally interconnectingthe inner ends of the top sectionsy of each bow for pivotal movement of the sections connected to each hinge about an axis transversely of their respective bow between a position withr said sections of each bow substantially aligned and a position with said sectionsy collapsed downwardly into side by side relation and in side by side relation with the legs of their respective bow; each of said top sections being the control rod 50 from the mid-portion sections 41. The

tubular in form immediately adjacent to their respective inner ends; means releasably locking the top sections of each bow in said aligned position and including alocking rod slidably received in one ofthe tubular sections of each bow andl having a control vhandle radially extended from the rod for sliding the rod axiallyof the sections between lockedv and released positions; connectlng means between said telescopicr upper and lower endsv of the legs being arranged and constructed soy that the' legsy are held in selected, telescopicadjustment and being releasable Iso that telescopic 'adjustment is-permittedl to Vand arranged so thatV the cover tends to tighten at the external` corners of-thebows Vas the top sections of the V'bows are pivoted upwardlyk away from their respective out removaly of the cover and kwithout.disassembly of the support frame,

Although theinvention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived'to be themost practical rand legsto increase the external angles about said corners, and said cover ,being constructed rand arranged so that compensating slack is provided on opposite sides of said cornersrby collapsingthe top sections of each bow downy wardly and by telescopic contraction of the legs. 3. The control handle 51 is then actuated to position the l' Y e y References Cited Vby the Examiner UNITEDV STATES PATENTS 2,627,865 2/58 Macht-,11a a1. 13s- 4 2,806,477Y 9/57 Fritsch@Y v v13s-4 2,818,875 1/58 Denn 13ss 2,829,659 f 4/581 Mageinny .135 5 2,960,993v 11/60H01stromr 13s-4 2,969,074V A1/61 Winn-; 135-3 2,975,792 Y3/61;inerti-rter ai. 13s-4 3,048,183 8/621Grundserh 13s-5 FOREIGN PATENTS Y*136,958 4/50 Australia.'

HARRISON R. MosELEY,PrimafyfExaminr. D. J. STOCKINQfExamm'er. 'f 

